Sky Atlantic is aiming to spend half its budget on original commissions by the end of 2014, moving from the current figure of around 30%, as part of BSkyB's pledge to increase investment on UK content across all of its channels to £600m.

Naomi Gibney, the acting director of Sky Atlantic, said on Thursday that the plan is to have 50% of the channel's schedule original commissions, with the majority almost certain to come from UK producers and using British talent.

Currently around 30% of the channel's programming are from original commissions with 70% coming from programme acquisitions.

"While we are committed to making more home-grown shows – by the end of 2014 we aim to have a schedule that is made up of 50% commissions and 50% acquisitions, we are still the channel where our customers can expect to get the best of the US," said Gibney, unveiling a raft of upcoming comedies for the channel.

The move, which reflects the budget and not the number of hours on the channel, is a further sign of Sky's commitment to the UK production sector, although some of the commissions are expected to come from the US.

Sky would not disclose the budget of Sky Atlantic, or the projected figure once this new ratio is achieved. However Sky as a whole has already pledged to increase investment in UK content to £600m by 2014.

The broadcaster has also announced a new 10-part series of comedy shorts called Comedy Republic, made by the independent Baby Cow. The 11-minute long episodes will introduce new comic characters shot in mock documentary style but the broadcaster said it was too early to confirm any of the names attached to the series.

"Each character may have a touch point with others in the series but they will exist primarily in their own unique world," the channel said in a statement, adding that those participating would be a mix of well known and less well known personalities when it begins airing next year.

Lucy Lumsden, Sky's head of comedy, said: "Inspired by the success of Sky1 HD's Little Crackers, Sky Atlantic now has its own season of short form comedies that are all about unleashing the next great comic characters from the new and the known."

Henry Normal, Baby Cow chief executive, added: "This is my dream show. I have been wanting to make this for 14 years."

The commission is part of an output deal between Sky Atlantic and Baby Cow which has also been commissioned to make Mid Morning Matters, two new one-hour Alan Partridge comedy specials based on the online show starring Steve Coogan.

This includes Welcome to the Places of my Life, which will see Partridge take viewers on a tour of his home county of Norfolk.

A second Partridge special will feature the DJ being interviewed for a local book club by author Chris Beal, played by Robert Popper.

The Baby Cow deal also includes an animated children's tale, Uncle Wormsley's Christmas, narrated by Coogan, and a two-part look at Coogan's 2009 standup tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Launched last year, Sky Atlantic is home to the satellite broadcaster's high profile US dramas including Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire, for which it bought the rights after four series on BBC4.

The channel will also air West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin's latest drama, The Newsroom, as well as Armando Iannucci's US comedy, Veep.

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